Buying advice used Kia Sportage (2016-2022): problems, reliability and offers

Kia Sportage QL only in petrol and diesel

Unlike the current, sharper Kia Sportage, the original was only available with engines that drank pure substances: gasoline or diesel. Don’t mind driving a Kia Sportage that is clearly from the previous generation in looks and engine? Then you can buy a second copy from the period 2016-2022 at a good price. But is that also a good idea?

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Kia Sportage sales figures

In terms of sales numbers, the Kia Sportage with model number QL failed to surpass its predecessor. From the end of 2010 to the beginning of 2016, he was able to influence nearly 16,000 Dutch people. In 2022, QL had already failed with more than 7,500 purchase contracts. And yet he was off to a promising start in 2016, with nearly 3,100 cars. Sportage fell further during the corona period. In 2021, the counter stopped at less than 550 units Marktplaats.nl to be average around 200 used Kia Sportages of this generation provided.

Engine Kia Sportage

As mentioned, this KIa Sportage was only available with traditional petrol and diesel engines. The entry level was the 1.6 GDi, a direct injection 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 132 hp and 161 Nm. With a turbo, this engine was called 1.6 T-GDi and got a big power: 177 hp and 265 Nm. A turbo version with four-wheel drive was available at extra cost. Until 2018, Kia supplied the Sportage with the 1.7 CRDi. This was available in two variants: with 115 or 141 hp. The most powerful diesel engine was the 2.0 CRDi with 185 hp, with four-wheel drive as standard. In the Netherlands, this event remained very rare.

Facelift Kia Sportage 2018

Just a few springs young, the Kia Sportage received a facelift in 2018. The bumpers, grille and rear light units were retouched and the sporty GT-Line also received new light units. The daytime running lights on both sides consisted of four separate LED bulbs arranged in a square. Most important was the new 1.6 CRDi diesel engine with 136 hp that replaced both 1.7 CRDi versions. The 2.0 CRDi was also revised; now it was assisted by a 48V micro-hybrid system.

In May 2019, the 1.6 CRDi also received this mild form of electric development. This resulted in a slight reduction in consumption and CO2 emissions. This also meant the end of the 2.0 CRDi. Since then you can only go for the 1.6 T-GDi with 4WD. At least, until 2020, because in July of that year the four-wheel drive Sportage completely disappeared from the Dutch market. With the exception of the non-turbo 1.6 GDI, all engines were available with an automatic transmission.

From basic to super deluxe

Until 2017, the Kia Sportage QL was still available as an Economy Line, after which the ComfortLine became the entry-level equipment of the range. Air conditioning, cruise control and four electrically operated side windows are all on board. DynamicLine also offers automatic climate control, navigation, reversing camera and DAB+ radio.

In ExecutiveLine you also have: keyless entry, emergency stop assist, blind spot warning, four heated seats, leather upholstery and ventilated front seats. GT-Line (from 1.6 T-GDi) is the sporty member of the Sportage family. It can be recognized by its 19-inch wheels and distinctive headlights. The GT-PlusLine combines the sporty look of the GT-Line with the luxury of the ExecutiveLine. What all versions have in common, of course, is a spacious interior and a generous trunk of 503 liters.

Used Kia Sportage with factory warranty

This Kia Sportage was built in Slovakia, but of course Korean warranty terms apply. That means: seven years to a maximum of 150,000 km. Factory warranty also applies to imported used cars.

The condition is that the vehicle has been stored for exposure in accordance with the factory instructions. This means there are still plenty of Sportages available whose factory warranty has not yet expired. And if you buy a second-hand Sportage QL from a Kia dealer, in some cases you even get a seven-year warranty on it.

Is the Kia Sportage a reliable car?

Is Kia’s faith in the Sportage justified? If we look at the results of ANWB Roadside Assistance pass, that’s exactly what it is. The Dutch charity does not know of a single problem that occurs more often than average. So nothing wrong? Well… the German inspection agency GTÜ it’s a little more important. According to the statistics of Technical Monitoring Society During mandatory inspections, Sportages show excessive wear on a number of parts more often than average.

Problems Kia Sportage

The Germans give their opinion on the braking system, suspension and steering. In addition, strict German inspectors regularly detect water leaks and defects in lamps. It’s nothing spectacular, but especially if there’s only a little warranty left on your second-hand Kia Sportage, we’d check out these scores.

Used Kia Sportage QL prices

Except for a few people who eat cheap mileage, the prices for this generation Kia Sportage for about 13,000 euros. The bad news is that most of them are turbo-less and therefore instead of 1.6 teeth behind their tiger noses. With the 1.6 T-GDI, this large SUV drives more comfortably and quietly.

Especially if you travel frequently with a caravan. With a towing capacity of 1900 kg, the turbo variant can carry 500 kg more on the hook than the standard version. Unfortunately, Sportages with a more powerful petrol engine are rarer and more expensive. Only from about 18,000 euros you can choose more.

Even fewer are the Sportage with a diesel engine. Only a few out of about 200 Sportages on Marktplaats.nl has the abbreviation CRDi in the classification of their species. And contrary to what you might expect, these are not trades of the week. As far as looks are concerned, our preference isn’t the Kia Sportage with 16-inch wheels and balloon tires, but that’s subjective.